advanced since then and today’s dual-sport bikes might be
better, but the ’07 525 was a high point in dual-sport history, and if I had one, I would never, ever sell it.

2008 KTM 300XC. This is when two-strokes got electric
start. That’s like when silent movies became talkies. Any
KTM 300 after this period is gold. The real problem is that
people never sell them.

1974 Yamaha YZ360. If I’m dreaming, I might as wellgo for it. The ’ 74 Yamaha 360 is probably the best vintageracer there is. I enjoy racing vintage bikes once in a while,and I have a 1974 Husqvarna 250 Mag that allows me toplay the game. But, years ago I made the mistake of rid-ing someone else’s YZ360. It was cheating! The problem isthat there are only a few hundred of these bikes out there,and if I had one, I would be afraid to hurt it. I have to admitthat my Husky is a good substitute, because there’s aninexhaustible supplyof spare parts avail-able and it’s fairlyindestructible.

1983 HondaCR450R. This couldbe my Evo racer. Iraced one back inthe day, and I think if Honda had stuck with this formula,the Open-class two-stroke would have survived. WhenHonda went bigger, it lost something. A good substitute isthe 1981 Maico 490. Oddly enough, I think there’s a bettersupply of parts for the Maico, but you have to be a Maicoguy to know how to get the most out of them.

I might be running out of garage space by now. I haven’t
even touched on my trials bike candidate (any Gas Gas
280), my adventure bike (a 2007 BMW HP- 2) or my mini
(any TTR125). There are also bikes that I already own and
will never sell—a 2003 Kawasaki KX125, 1998 KDX200 and
1977 Bultaco Alpina. Above them all, there’s one thing on
my must-buy list that comes first—a bigger garage. ❑

Dirt bike freaks have a huge advantage over other freaks. If you’re into boats, planes, UTVs, ATVs, dune bug-gies, cars or dirigibles, you’re limited. You can only own
one, then you run out of garage space. Motorcycles, on
the other hand, are so compact, there’s always room for
just one more. Everyone should be entitled to at least one
motocross bike, one dual-sport, one two-stroke off-road
bike, a mini or two, and maybe a trials bike. And, if you
have a three-car garage, you can start throwing in adventure bikes. The real problem is that you run out of money
long before you run out of space. That’s why I like the concept of an all-time list. These are timeless bikes that never
grow old and can be accumulated over a lifetime. I’m not
talking about collectibles. Everyone would love to have a
’ 68 twin-pipe Suzuki, but you can’t ride bikes like that. The
all-time list is for bikes that you never get tired of riding. If
your doctor told you that you couldn’t buy any more motorcycles, which ones should be in the garage? I think I know
my list.

2008 Honda CRF450R. This is my choice for a competitive motocross bike. I’m not saying that a nine-year-old
Honda is better than a current 450. It’s not. Sorry. But, it’s
close enough. For years people who sold their old Hondas
were disappointed in the bikes that followed. In truth, you
can always freshen up a CRF from this year for way less
money than it costs to buy a new bike. The Honda scores
big in the timelessness department.

2007 Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke. There has to be a
250cc two-stroke in everyone’s garage. The Yamaha is the
zenith of the breed, reaching a state of Zen about 12 years
ago. If you go shopping for one, you have a big range of
bikes to choose from that are almost identical, aside from
suspension variations. I would accept a 2008 RM250 in its
place, but the Yamaha is still in production, so the parts
supply will outlive me.

2000 Honda XR650R. I’m talking about the liquid-cooled
R model that lasted from 2000 to 2007, not the air-cooled L
that’s still in the line.
There’s never been a
bike like this. If you
live within 500 miles
of the Mexican border, you have to have
a Baja bike. Even if
you don’t, you need
a bike that can cover distance for big once-a-year adventures. The Honda can swallow hundreds of miles of trails,
two-tracks and dirt roads in a day without burping. And,
it will never break. The XR has only two shortcomings: no
electric start and no license plate. You can deal with both.

2007 KTM 525EXC. Just in case I can’t get a license
plate for the XR650R, I need a legitimate 50-state dual-sport bike. The 2007 KTM 525EXC was a one-year model
based on the RFS motor. Back in 2007, emissions requirements for dual-sport bikes weren’t quite as intense as
they are now. KTM was also small enough back then to
get pretty loose with the rules. So, the company’s first real
dual-sport bike was amazingly good. Yes, technology has

10 www.dirtbikemagazine.com

SADDLE

The all-time, all-star garage

“If your doctor told you that you couldn’t buy any more motorcycles,which ones should be in the garage?”